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Consumer surveys
Consumer surveys are statistical surveys focusing on the measurement of aspects of consumer behavior, [[consumer attitudes etc. Surveys can be conducted using a number of different mehtods, each with their own advantages and disadvantages: *Automated telephone surveys *Mail surveys *Telephone surveys Survey methods There are several ways of administering a survey, including: Telephone surveys ** use of interviewers encourages sample persons to respond, leading to higher response rates.Groves, R.M. (1989) Survey Costs and Survey Errors. New York: Wiley. ** interviewers can increase comprehension of questions by answering respondents' questions. ** fairly cost efficient, depending on local call charge structure ** good for large national (or international) sampling frames ** cannot be used for non-audio information (graphics, demonstrations, taste/smell samples) ** three types: *** traditional telephone interviews *** computer assisted telephone dialing *** computer assisted telephone interviewing * Mail ** response rate 5% - 30% ** the questionnaire may be handed to the respondents or mailed to them, but in all cases they are returned to the researcher via mail. ** cost is very low, since bulk postage is cheap in most countries ** long time delays, often several months, before the surveys are returned and statistical analysis can begin ** not suitable for very complex issues ** no interviewer bias introduced ** large amount of information can be obtained: some mail surveys are as long as 50 pages ** response rates can be improved by using mail panels *** members of the panel have agreed to participate *** panels can be used in longitudinal designs where the same respondents are surveyed several times Online surveys ** can use web or e-mail *** web is preferred over e-mail because interactive HTML forms can be used ** response rates sometimes 90% before 2000, but have been dropping fast since then (now 2% - 30%) ** often inexpensive to administer ** very fast results ** easy to modify ** response rates can be improved by using Online panels - members of the panel have agreed to participate ** if not password-protected, easy to manipulate by completing multiple times to skew results ** data creation, manipulation and reporting can be automated ** data sets created in real time ** some are incentive based * Personal in-home survey ** respondents are interviewed in person, in their homes (or at the front door) ** very high cost ** response rate 40% - 50% ** suitable when graphic representations, smells, or demonstrations are involved ** suitable for long surveys ** suitable for locations where telephone or mail are not developed * Personal mall intercept survey ** shoppers at malls are intercepted - they are either interviewed on the spot, taken to a room and interviewed, or taken to a room and given a self-administered questionnaire ** response rate about 50% ** socially acceptable - people feel that a mall is a more appropriate place to do research than their home ** potential for interviewer bias ** fast ** easy to manipulate by completing multiple times to skew results * Methods used to increase response rates ** brevity - single page if possible ** financial incentives *** paid in advance *** paid at completion ** non-monetary incentives *** commodity giveaways (pens, notepads) *** entry into a lottery, draw or contest *** discount coupons *** promise of contribution to charity ** preliminary notification ** foot-in-the-door techniques - start with a small inconsequential request ** personalization of the request - address specific individuals ** follow-up requests - multiple requests ** claimed affiliation with universities, research institutions, or charities ** emotional appeals ** bids for sympathy ** convince respondent that they can make a difference ** guarantee anonymity Purposes Surveys are conducted for a number of reasons associated with advertising, customer satisfaction,customer relationship management, marketing etc See also *Qualitative marketing research References Category:Consumer psychology Category:Consumer attitudes Category:Surveys